Muncie, IN
Census place 1851876 · pop 64,751
The 'Middletown' of the famous Lynd sociological studies of typical American life and home to Ball State University.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
23.2% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
29.2% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$44,471 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-5.8% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
19.3% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
618 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
52.0% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
2279 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
87.6% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
38.8% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.46 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
28.9% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
3.9% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
26.1% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
10.2% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
44 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.92% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
74/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
0 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
18 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$97,300 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$958/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
Frequently asked
- Is Muncie, IN a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Muncie scores 42/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is rent and its weakest is poor mental health. Indiana overall ranks #18 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Muncie, IN?
- Muncie reports 618 violent crimes per 100k and 2279 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Muncie, IN expensive to live in?
- Muncie has a median home value of $97,300 and typical rent around $958/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Muncie, IN?
- Its weakest measured area is poor mental health (23.2%) — 1/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Muncie, IN best at?
- Its strongest measured area is rent ($958/mo) — 97/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: The 'Middletown' of the famous Lynd sociological studies of typical American life and home to Ball State University.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.